An adventure in Africa

30 June, Morocco

My parents and I had just driven down the narrow mountain road from Marrakesh, with all its sharp bends, and had finally arrived at Merzouga. Before us stretched the unending sand dunes that marked the beginning of the Sahara. A small boy walked past with a group of noisy goats as I took a long look at the yellow roadside sign that told us we were entering a “fragile natural environment”. I made a resolution to respect and protect this unique landscape while I was here. We set off, our vehicle quietly running over the sand and small stones. It wasn’t long before we were surrounded by enormous sand dunes towering above us on all sides. The wind was blowing grains of sand from the tops of the dunes, the sun was beating down hard and bright, and the sky was a deep shade of blue that I had never seen before. The wild beauty of the desert was about to reveal itself. There was not a plant to be seen. The desert appeared completely empty, which was calming and threatening at the same time. The colours of the dunes contrasted strikingly with the blue of the cloudless sky.

6 月 30 日，摩洛哥

我和父母从马拉喀什出发，沿着狭窄的山路一路急转弯，终于来到了梅尔祖加。在我们面前是一望无际的沙丘，标志着撒哈拉沙漠的开始。一个小男孩牵着一群喧闹的山羊走过，我仔细看了看路边的黄色标志，上面写着我们正在进入一个 "脆弱的自然环境"。我暗暗下定决心，在这里一定要尊重和保护这片独特的土地。我们出发了，车辆在沙地和小石子上悄无声息地行驶着。没过多久，我们就被四面耸立的巨大沙丘包围了。风吹起沙丘顶上的沙粒，太阳猛烈地照射着大地，天空呈现出我从未见过的深蓝色。沙漠的野性之美即将展现。没有一棵植物。沙漠显得完全空旷，让人感到平静，同时又充满威胁。沙丘的颜色与万里无云的蓝天形成了鲜明的对比。

Eventually, as the last rays of sunlight were falling on the sand, we arrived at our desert camp. Stars were already shining brightly in the darkening sky and it was getting cold with the approach of the night. Three camels, slowly chewing, were resting on their knees and watching our arrival with interest. “So, which one of you lucky animals will be my ride tomorrow?” I said out loud as I grabbed my bag and headed towards the warm campfire. I was starving and rushed to put a steak on the barbecue.

最后，当最后一缕阳光洒在沙地上时，我们到达了沙漠营地。夜幕降临，星光已在黑暗的天空中闪烁，天气也变得寒冷起来。三头骆驼正慢慢地咀嚼着，跪在地上休息，饶有兴趣地看着我们的到来。"那么，明天哪一只幸运的动物会成为我的坐骑呢？" 我一边大声说着，一边拿起包朝温暖的篝火走去。我饿坏了，急忙把一块牛排放在烧烤架上。

3 July, Kenya 

A few days after our departure from the camp, our car was well and truly stuck in the mud. We were very near to our rest camp in Amboseli National Park located on the border of Kenya when my father, against my mother’s advice, decided to drive through a large pool of water that stretched across the dirt road. Two tall slim local people were standing by the roadside watching us with amusement. They must have realized that we were totally helpless, for after a few moments, they wandered over and pushed us free. My father smiled weakly and we drove on as my mother and I waved from the car window.

从营地出发几天后，我们的车真的陷进了泥里。当时我们离肯尼亚边境安博塞利国家公园的休息营地很近，父亲不顾母亲的劝阻，决定开车穿过横跨泥路的一大滩积水。两个瘦高的当地人站在路边饶有兴致地看着我们。他们一定意识到我们完全无能为力，因为过了一会儿，他们就走过来把我们推开了。父亲虚弱地笑了笑，我们继续往前开，我和母亲在车窗前挥手致意。

We found a parking space next to our hut, which was round and made from brick. The walls, painted brilliant white, reflected the afternoon sun. There were five similar huts, all lined up facing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. The mountain rose up over the plains before us. Tall grasses and trees dotted the plains, which were alive with the African wildlife we had come to see. Giraffes, with their long necks, were pulling leaves from the highest branches. In the distance, elephants were eating grass, ears flapping lazily as they moved slowly over the plains. I had never seen anything like this before. It was indeed the greatest show on the Earth.

我们在小屋旁边找到了一个停车位，小屋是用砖砌成的圆形。墙壁漆成亮白色，反射着午后的阳光。这里有五座类似的小屋，它们一字排开，面向非洲最高峰乞力马扎罗山。山峰耸立在我们面前的平原上。高大的草丛和树木点缀着平原，平原上到处都是我们要看的非洲野生动物。长颈鹿长着长长的脖子，正在从最高的树枝上摘树叶。远处，大象在吃草，懒洋洋地甩动着耳朵，在平原上缓缓移动。我以前从未见过这样的景象。这的确是地球上最精彩的表演。

We got out of the car, carrying our suitcases and boxes of food into the hut. I placed ham sandwiches, sausages and a bunch of bananas on a small wooden table. I returned to the car and fetched more possessions. It was then that I noticed a small grey monkey sitting on a tree a few metres away and eating a banana. “So cute,” I thought to myself, until I realized it was my banana that he was eating!  He was looking at me intently as he enjoyed the final mouthful. I was sure he was saying, “Thank you.” “You’re welcome,” I replied. 

我们下了车，拎着行李箱和一箱箱食物走进小屋。我把火腿三明治、香肠和一串香蕉放在一张小木桌上。我回到车里，拿了更多的东西。就在这时，我注意到一只灰色的小猴子坐在几米外的树上吃香蕉。我心想 "好可爱"，直到我意识到它吃的是我的香蕉！ 它一边享受着最后一口香蕉，一边紧紧地盯着我。我确信他在说 "谢谢"。"不客气。"我回答道。